Grade: A
Yang: Strong performances by Dane DeHaan and Michael B. Jordan are the highlight of this clever spin on the people with powers narrative. Stunning practical effects and top-notch destruction don't hurt either.
Yin: Found footage format, shaky cam effect, and city-scale carnage recall less than fond memories of Cloverfield, but doesn’t diminish the effectiveness of
In Between: The feeling of having one’s teeth yanked out by telekinesis must be the most unpleasant experience imaginable.
Dear Warner Brothers,
Re: Live-action Akira remake
Authorize a ten-dollar per suit budget. See Josh Trank’s Chronicle. Drop this whitewashed Akira remake business and save your money for some other trite comic book movie or remake.
Thanks,
Fans of Common Sense and Good Taste
To say Chronicle is one of the best movies about superhumans of the current era of superhero blockbusters is probably the most hyperbolic of overstatements possible, but not by much. Not since M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable—remember that movie from the brief period where Shyamalan was respectable—has there been a film about people with powers that is as believable and affecting as first-time feature director Josh Trank’s Chronicle. In short, Chronicle puts on a clinic in how to make super-powered beings relatable, believable, and interesting. Marvel, DC, and any other publisher or film studio in the business of selling the dreams superpowers in four colors or on the silver screen, take note. Take copious notes.
At first glance, Chronicle seems to be simply aping the current trend of found footage filmmaking—and, indeed, this does contribute to some of the few flaws in the film, which is the overly-expository nature of the narrative and the ever-irritating shaky-cam effect—but Trank uses this technique to great effect as it speaks directly to a generation that is beyond comfortable with documenting their every thought and footstep. In Chronicle, HD handycams follow three Seattle teens--the moody, abused Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan); his cousin, the philosophical, good-natured Matt Garetty (Alex Russell); and their new friend, goofy, easygoing political hopeful Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan). After dragging the camera-happy Andrew to his first rave, Matt and Steve discover a gaping mile-deep hole in an empty field that just screams, “Come on in. It’s safe.” In a clear case of teens being brilliant, the three investigate and find a glowing structure inside that delivers nosebleeds and superpowers at no extra cost. The three emerge with burgeoning telekinetic powers that they promptly misuse for garden-variety mischief and tomfoolery. As their powers grow stronger than they imagined, evolving to include the ability for flight, the three are faced with the reality of Ben Parker’s famous adage about power and responsibility, particularly as the tortured Andrew discovers the upper limits of his power. What results is a clever examination of the corrupting influence of power, the effect of environment, and, oddly, the strength of friendship that is rivaled only by anime classic, Akira.
What makes Chronicle so effective is that it is not bound to any pre-existing material—aside from a climax that’s a almost note-for-note rip of Akira’s climax--or comic book dogma. Yes, the concept of “with great power comes great responsibility” surfaces, but there’s no wise man to guide Andrew, Matt, and Steve. There’s no higher purpose. 80% of the runtime is devoted to the characters engaging in full on wish fulfillment, and Chronicle is better for it because, truth be told, these characters react to getting powers the way most people would. Chronicle also isn’t handicapped by adherence to any current or past comic series, and, thus, is not required to hit any narrative predetermined narrative beats or ensure that characters look or act according to a decades-old character model. This freedom allows Trank and screenwriter Max Landis to craft a narrative with deeper characters and more tangible consequence than half of comic-based movies released in the last five years. Trank takes ample advantage of this freedom, as the film peels the layers back on a character who would rarely be the focus of a traditional superhero narrative, Andrew. Chronicle is unequivocally Andrew’s story, and his response to receiving powers is far more believable than the arc of similarly put-upon geek loner Peter Parker.
A character like Andrew could have descended into a cartoon if not for the grounded direction and Dane DeHaan’s strong performance. DeHaan gives Andrew an consistent sense of perpetual discomfort and anxiety rooted in the abuse Andrew suffers at home. This unease is well-layered thanks to DeHaan’s mostly restrained performance, as Andrew mostly avoids delving into the over-the-top megalomania that paints similar characters. DeHaan’s performance is ably balanced by, the ever-reliable, Michael B. Jordan and Alex Russell’s performances. Jordan brings an infectious exuberance to his role as the big man on campus who is constantly geeking about his new abilities. It’ a bit of a stretch to see his character become so close to Andrew and Matt so quick because no history is established, but damned if Jordan doesn’t sell it, especially in one crucial scene that packs a solid wallop. Russell flies under the radar, especially in the presence of Jordan and DeHaan, as Andrew’s concerned cousin and the anchor and moral compass of the group, but he too gets a true moment to shine in the film’s climax that proves that Chronicle should be mentioned in same breath as X-Men: First Class.
Where this film differs from something like First Class is that the friendship between Andrew, Matt and Steve seems real. When Charles and Erik met in First Class, there was a requisite tension between the two that prevented them from ever being close friends, even before their split. In Chronicle, there’s a similar tension, mostly based on Andrew’s home life, but it doesn’t dominate the interactions between the three. The tension doesn't truly surface significantly until late in the film because more time and care is spent developing these characters friendship—even when the three get a bit sappy, they are still believable close—a narrative approach far more common in manga and anime than western comics. That care really pays off in the end, and, thanks to the quality of Russell, Jordan, and DeHaan’s performances, there’s never a moment second that the payoffs don’t feel earned.
In addition to great performances and a solid narrative, Chronicle delivers some of the most “authentic” displays of superpowers on screen in sometime. Chronicle doesn’t have the benefit of the audience willingly suspending disbelief because they know the characters in advance. Instead, director Trank earns the suspension of disbelief with mostly practical effects and some exhilarating scenes of the guys in flight—logically, they dress in down coats and ski pants because, wouldn’t you know, it’s frigid in the upper layers of our atmosphere—that rival, and maybe surpass, flight scenes from Superman Returns. Admittedly, the action is occasionally obscured due to the found footage format, but generally, Trank uses the format skillfully to make the action far more realistic than the average superhero flick. Between the great action, strong performances, and affecting narrative, surely Hollywood and the comic industry will soon be clamoring to replicate the formula, but they’ll likely fail to match the sublime combination of narrative and character that makes Chronicle one of the best ‘real-world’ superhuman flicks to date.
At first glance, Chronicle seems to be simply aping the current trend of found footage filmmaking—and, indeed, this does contribute to some of the few flaws in the film, which is the overly-expository nature of the narrative and the ever-irritating shaky-cam effect—but Trank uses this technique to great effect as it speaks directly to a generation that is beyond comfortable with documenting their every thought and footstep. In Chronicle, HD handycams follow three Seattle teens--the moody, abused Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan); his cousin, the philosophical, good-natured Matt Garetty (Alex Russell); and their new friend, goofy, easygoing political hopeful Steve Montgomery (Michael B. Jordan). After dragging the camera-happy Andrew to his first rave, Matt and Steve discover a gaping mile-deep hole in an empty field that just screams, “Come on in. It’s safe.” In a clear case of teens being brilliant, the three investigate and find a glowing structure inside that delivers nosebleeds and superpowers at no extra cost. The three emerge with burgeoning telekinetic powers that they promptly misuse for garden-variety mischief and tomfoolery. As their powers grow stronger than they imagined, evolving to include the ability for flight, the three are faced with the reality of Ben Parker’s famous adage about power and responsibility, particularly as the tortured Andrew discovers the upper limits of his power. What results is a clever examination of the corrupting influence of power, the effect of environment, and, oddly, the strength of friendship that is rivaled only by anime classic, Akira.
What makes Chronicle so effective is that it is not bound to any pre-existing material—aside from a climax that’s a almost note-for-note rip of Akira’s climax--or comic book dogma. Yes, the concept of “with great power comes great responsibility” surfaces, but there’s no wise man to guide Andrew, Matt, and Steve. There’s no higher purpose. 80% of the runtime is devoted to the characters engaging in full on wish fulfillment, and Chronicle is better for it because, truth be told, these characters react to getting powers the way most people would. Chronicle also isn’t handicapped by adherence to any current or past comic series, and, thus, is not required to hit any narrative predetermined narrative beats or ensure that characters look or act according to a decades-old character model. This freedom allows Trank and screenwriter Max Landis to craft a narrative with deeper characters and more tangible consequence than half of comic-based movies released in the last five years. Trank takes ample advantage of this freedom, as the film peels the layers back on a character who would rarely be the focus of a traditional superhero narrative, Andrew. Chronicle is unequivocally Andrew’s story, and his response to receiving powers is far more believable than the arc of similarly put-upon geek loner Peter Parker.
A character like Andrew could have descended into a cartoon if not for the grounded direction and Dane DeHaan’s strong performance. DeHaan gives Andrew an consistent sense of perpetual discomfort and anxiety rooted in the abuse Andrew suffers at home. This unease is well-layered thanks to DeHaan’s mostly restrained performance, as Andrew mostly avoids delving into the over-the-top megalomania that paints similar characters. DeHaan’s performance is ably balanced by, the ever-reliable, Michael B. Jordan and Alex Russell’s performances. Jordan brings an infectious exuberance to his role as the big man on campus who is constantly geeking about his new abilities. It’ a bit of a stretch to see his character become so close to Andrew and Matt so quick because no history is established, but damned if Jordan doesn’t sell it, especially in one crucial scene that packs a solid wallop. Russell flies under the radar, especially in the presence of Jordan and DeHaan, as Andrew’s concerned cousin and the anchor and moral compass of the group, but he too gets a true moment to shine in the film’s climax that proves that Chronicle should be mentioned in same breath as X-Men: First Class.
Where this film differs from something like First Class is that the friendship between Andrew, Matt and Steve seems real. When Charles and Erik met in First Class, there was a requisite tension between the two that prevented them from ever being close friends, even before their split. In Chronicle, there’s a similar tension, mostly based on Andrew’s home life, but it doesn’t dominate the interactions between the three. The tension doesn't truly surface significantly until late in the film because more time and care is spent developing these characters friendship—even when the three get a bit sappy, they are still believable close—a narrative approach far more common in manga and anime than western comics. That care really pays off in the end, and, thanks to the quality of Russell, Jordan, and DeHaan’s performances, there’s never a moment second that the payoffs don’t feel earned.
In addition to great performances and a solid narrative, Chronicle delivers some of the most “authentic” displays of superpowers on screen in sometime. Chronicle doesn’t have the benefit of the audience willingly suspending disbelief because they know the characters in advance. Instead, director Trank earns the suspension of disbelief with mostly practical effects and some exhilarating scenes of the guys in flight—logically, they dress in down coats and ski pants because, wouldn’t you know, it’s frigid in the upper layers of our atmosphere—that rival, and maybe surpass, flight scenes from Superman Returns. Admittedly, the action is occasionally obscured due to the found footage format, but generally, Trank uses the format skillfully to make the action far more realistic than the average superhero flick. Between the great action, strong performances, and affecting narrative, surely Hollywood and the comic industry will soon be clamoring to replicate the formula, but they’ll likely fail to match the sublime combination of narrative and character that makes Chronicle one of the best ‘real-world’ superhuman flicks to date.
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